Two Employees of Alpha Affiliates Each Win $15,000 Prize for Wellness Screening Participation

ABINGDON, Va., Jan. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Monica Jackson, a manager for Alpha Coal Sales Co., LLC in Beckley, W.Va., and Ricky Nelson, an underground electrician for Rockspring Development, Inc. at its deep mine near East Lynn, W.Va., each won a $15,000 prize for their participation in an Alpha-sponsored wellness screening program.  

Kurt Kost, president of Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. (Alpha) (NYSE: ANR), presented Jackson her prize at a surprise ceremony in the Beckley office of Alpha Coal Sales.  Randy McMillion, executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Alpha, presented Nelson with his prize before 250 of his co-workers at an annual safety re-training meeting.

In making the presentation, Kost said, "We initiated the AlphaZone Wellness Program in 2006 to help employees at all of Alpha's affiliated companies get and stay healthy through annual health screenings.  The first step in illness prevention is detection of risk factors for a wide range of medical conditions.  These health screening results allow an employee to work with his or her physician to address identified health issues before they become potentially dangerous problems."

To encourage participation, the program offered prizes to those who volunteered for the screenings.   All employees of Alpha's affiliates who participated in AlphaZone were eligible for the grand prize drawings.  

Jackson has worked at Alpha Coal Sales for more than seven years.  After being identified as one of the grand prize winners, she said, "I was really surprised to win $15,000 for participating in a program that I really believe in.  I expect to continue to do the screenings when they are offered.  I am planning a shopping spree with my winnings."

Nelson, employed at the mine more than six years, intends to take his time in deciding how to spend his prize.  "I expect I will have plenty of help from my wife and sons in deciding what to do with the money, but it will be fun figuring it out," he said.  "I never expected to win a big prize just for doing something for my health."

McMillion noted, "The wellness screenings are conducted by an independent health care firm that provides the confidential test results only to the individual participant.  Participation in the program is completely voluntary and has grown steadily each year.  This year, more than 3,300 employees of Alpha affiliates and nearly 400 spouses participated."    

Videotape availability

A videotape of the grand prize presentations is available and has been posted to the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aepJPvTS20A

About Alpha Natural Resources

Alpha Natural Resources is one of America's premier coal suppliers with affiliate coal production capacity of more than 90 million tons a year.  Alpha is the nation's leading supplier and exporter of metallurgical coal used in the steel-making process and is a major supplier of thermal coal to electric utilities and manufacturing industries across the country.  The company's affiliates employ approximately 6,500 people and operate more than 60 mines and 13 coal preparation facilities in the regions of Northern and Central Appalachia and the Powder River Basin.  More information about Alpha can be found on the company's Web site at www.alphanr.com.  

SOURCE Alpha Natural Resources, Inc.